Arjav Rawal

This is the final story in a series, published in The Reader and on omahajobs.com, that spotlights the experiences of low-income, working families in Omaha. Leah Cates, who has written the “Omaha Jobs” columns since July 2021, is headed to graduate school, and Arjav Rawal is set to take the reins. But before she leaves, Leah is working on a deep dive into Nebraska’s handling of public benefits for low-income families, which will round out the series. Keep an eye out for her story in July 2022. (

In his first interview since launching his campaign, County Attorney candidate Dave Pantos spoke with KFAB Radio News about why he thinks he can win, what he'd do differently, and more. (Omaha, NE) -- Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine has his first opponent. Dave Pantos, an attorney and consultant, launched his campaign today outside the Douglas County Courthouse. This is not Pantos' first campaign for elected office. He was the campaign manager for Democrat Kara Eastman's congressional bid,

(Omaha, NE) -- After three days of public hearings across the state, Nebraska lawmakers will finally begin debating how to redraw the state's congressional and legislative lines. Nebraska is home to the only officially nonpartisan legislature in America. Ultimately, though, the committee voted along party lines to advance a proposed map from committee chair Lou Ann Linehan that would split Douglas County between the first and second congressional districts. Hundreds of Democrats showed up in O

(Lincoln, NE) — The nation's only nonpartisan legislature faces its most partisan task yet as Nebraska lawmakers consider how to redraw congressional and legislative lines. Today, the legislature's redistricting committee held the second of three hearings at the state capitol. Testimony ranged from sitting senators to stay-at-home moms, with a diversity of opinions presented to the legislature's redistricting committee. Most sitting senators testified in favor of keeping their existing district

(Lincoln, NE) -- Nebraska lawmakers went back to work yesterday for a special session tackling redistricting. The officially nonpartisan legislature is tasked with redrawing congressional and legislative lines every 10 years. But this time around, some senators worry the effort is too partisan. "Ten years ago, it was somewhat partisan, with the congressional boundary change in Bellevue. But in 2001 and earlier redistricting efforts, it wasn't nearly so partisan at it seems to be this year," sa

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. A portion of this conversation has been redacted. Arjav Rawal: You've been very critical of former President Trump, and this letter is another step in that direction. What was the breaking point for you -- why is now the moment to explore a third-party alternative? John McCollister: My initial dissatisfaction with Donald Trump was [his response to a 2017 neo-Nazi rally in] Charlottesville, but lately, it's the January 6th insurrection on the

(Omaha, NE) -- Polls have just closed in the City of Omaha, where voters are choosing 7 city councilmembers and a mayor. Current Republican mayor Jean Stothert is seeking an unprecedented third term against Democratic real estate broker RJ Neary. Some background on tonight's race: Mayor Stothert won last month's primary with 57 percent of the vote. Neary finished in second with 16 percent. Mayor Stothert is a former critical care nurse who served on the Millard school board for 12 years, and t

(Omaha, NE) -- Polls are open from 8am to 8pm tonight in a highly competitive mayoral election. Here are the candidates who are running to lead our city. Jean Stothert is the incumbent mayor, running for a third term. She was a nurse and nursing supervisor who served on the Millard School Board and the Omaha City Council before being elected mayor in 2013. She is running on a public safety-centered platform, touting her expansion of the police force and work on reforming the department. Stother